Dear Reader,Welcome to the concise,
relevant Weekly Dvar. Please read, enjoy, respond, and refer a
friend...
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Parshat Korach relates the story of Korach, Datan, Aviram and
250 members of the shevet (tribe) or Reuven challenging Moshe's
choice for Kohen Gadol (high priest). The end result was that
the 250 members were burned by a heavenly fire, and the other 3
were miraculously swallowed by the earth. From a motive
perspective, Korach makes the most sense, because he felt
slighted for not having been chosen himself. But why would 250
people follow him to their certain death, with apparently little
to gain?
The answer can be found in Rashi, the great medieval
commentator, who writes that just as Korach's family camped on
the southern side of the Mishkan (Tabernacle), so did the tribe
of Reuven. Rashi quotes the words of Chapters of the Fathers,
"woe to an evil person, and woe to his neighbor." The 250 people
met their death, simply because they were influenced by their
neighbors! This points to the awesome influence that friends,
neighbors and associates have on us. So who do we surround
ourselves with? Do we have positive friends and neighbors? Are
WE positive friends and neighbors to others?